Lost links & Re-ups

On any post, if the link is no longer good, leave a comment if you want the music re-uploaded. As long as I still have the file, or the record, cd, or cassette to re-rip, I will gladly accommodate in a timely manner all such requests.

Slinging tuneage like some fried or otherwise soused short-order cook

05 March 2017

Opus Illuminatus

I promised I'd post up some Bill (Nelson or Laswell or Burroughs) once I could break outta my funk (& I'm not talking about the 'adelic' kind). Well, I was listening to some Bill Nelson & the Gentlemen Rocketeers recorded in concert at Metropolis Studios, London in 2011 (included in the comments). Bill & Co. covered some of my favorite Be-bop Deluxe tunes previously heard live on 1977s Live in the Air Age (as well as ''Lady You’re a Strange Girl'' from Chimes & Rings below). You could tell the audience was thrilled to hear these great songs played once again live. I was equally thrilled & it gave me the impetus to round up this post. The first & third items are requests from fellow Nelsonophiles who visit here. They have been overlooked for far too long.

Cocteau Records has re-issued a great deal of Bill Nelson's back catalogue. If you're looking for something in particular, that would be a good place to start.

Here's a nugget that has not been rereleased yet. Originally released as part of the Demonstrations of Affection 4CD or 4CAS box sets. Written, performed, & recorded by Bill Nelson at The Echo Observatory & Studio Rose-Croix, Yorkshire 1988-89.

The following year Bill released a limited edition cassette commemorating the 30th anniversary of The Fresco by Jean Cocteau performed by Bill & his brother Ian. Cocteau's The Fresco was painted at Notre Dame de France, a French Catholic Church on Leicester Place, just off Leicester Square.

The eight tracks were originally created for a live performance in Wakefield Cathedral as part of the city's 1990 Arts Festival. The performance was titled 'Opus Illuminatus' & featured live improvisations on guitar (by Bill) & saxophone (by his younger brother Ian) played over interactive backing tracks (what appears on the cassette minus the improvisations). It was finally re-released April 2014 as a digital download by Sonoluxe (CD032) so I'm only going to post up the first track.

CLV is sort of an ambient super-group democratically creating this largely improvised dreamscape with former Dream Academy member Kate St. John providing the saxophone & oboe lines, while Bill draws his exquisite atmospheric guitar doodles. Roger Eno's keyboards intertwine with Mayumi Tachibana's wispy cello & Laraaji's usual collection of random haunting rhythmic devices. There are vocals thrown in the mix, usually by Nelson or a multi-tracked St John.

Belated thanks for the Bill Nelson posts. While Bebop Deluxe was not on my radar back in the day, Nelson's post-Bebop stuff I find a treat and there's stuff you've posted I hadn't known about. Hearty thanks.